Hippo Roller

What Hippo Roller does

Hippo Roller (legally Imvubu Projects (Pty) Ltd) is a South African social enterprise that designs, manufactures, and distributes the Hippo Roller, a 90-litre roto-moulded water transport drum made from UV-stabilised linear low-density polyethylene with a stainless-steel handle. The drum is engineered to be rolled along the ground rather than carried, dispersing the 90-litre load so that the effective pushing or pulling weight is approximately 10 kg, which the company reports enables transport of roughly five times more water per trip than the conventional 20-litre bucket method and saves about 75% of collection time. Founded by Pettie Petzer and Johan Jonker in 1991 and formalised in 1993 under Executive Director Grant Gibbs, the product has a documented 5-7 year lifespan in daily rural use and is approved by the South African Department of Rural Development and Land Reform as an appropriate technology.

The company's business model is hardware sales layered with a social-investment distribution structure. Core revenue streams include direct unit sales via the hipporoller.org order form, branded and colour-matched Corporate Social Investment orders for NGOs, governments, and corporations, and a retail network (including Makro South Africa) that offers micro-finance for end users. Per-unit price is approximately USD 125, equating to roughly USD 0.11 per household per day over a 5-year lifespan. Go-to-market is product-led with enterprise field sales: most units are sponsored or donated rather than purchased by end users, channelled through Rotary clubs, the UN World Food Programme, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, JAM, Conservation Fusion, and government partners. Manufacturing is outsourced in South Africa with a stated intent to localise production in target countries.

By November 2023 Hippo Roller reported approximately 70,000 units distributed and 700,000 beneficiaries across 56 countries, moving an estimated 2 billion litres of water per year. Adjacent products include the Hippo Utility Cap for hygienic dispensing, the student-developed Dynapump for irrigation, and the Hippo Spaza small-commerce accessory. Marketing relies on content (blog, project stories), organic social across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn, earned media in Forbes, MIT Technology Review, and CNN, and exhibitions such as the Roca London Gallery's Water for Thought showcase. Recent strategic moves include the 2020 launch of the Hippo Hub awareness initiative, the 2023-2025 Pacific expansion via the US Department of State/IOM IMPACT II project in the Marshall Islands, and 2025 entry into Makro South African retail.

Name

Hippo Roller

Legal name

Imvubu Projects (Pty) Ltd (Trading as Hippo Roller)

Website

https://hipporoller.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hippo Roller is a South African social enterprise that manufactures and distributes the 90-litre Hippo Roller water transport drum, selling to NGOs, governments, corporations, and individuals across 56 countries, with most units sponsored or donated to water-stressed communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fourways

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Hippo Roller Hardware Sales: The company sells Hippo Roller devices directly to customers including NGOs, governments, corporations, and individuals. Orders are placed through the website with invoice and banking details for direct deposit/wire transfer/EFT. Shipping is arranged upon receipt of payment.
2. Corporate Sponsorship and Branding: Corporate sponsors can purchase Hippo Rollers branded with company logos. The drum can be colour matched to the organization's brand, providing social investment and fundraising opportunities for businesses.
3. Retail Sector with Micro-finance: Retailers are invited to join the distribution network and offer micro-finance facilities for customers who cannot afford the upfront expense of purchasing a Hippo Roller.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Hippo Roller manufactures and sells a 90-litre roto-moulded water transport drum made from UV-stabilized linear low-density polyethylene with a stainless steel handle. The drum is rolled along the ground rather than carried, reducing effective push/pull weight to roughly 10kg (22 lbs) even when full. Complementary offerings include the Hippo Utility Cap accessory for hygienic dispensing, the Dynapump for water pumping and irrigation, and corporate branding customization for social investment programs.

Product overview

Hippo Roller is a South African social enterprise offering a portfolio of water access and transport solutions. The core product is the Hippo Roller 90-Litre, a 90-liter roto-moulded drum designed to roll water rather than carry it. The product portfolio includes the Hippo Utility Cap accessory for hygienic water dispensing, the Dynapump for water pumping and irrigation, and corporate branding options for social investment programs. The company outsources manufacturing in South Africa with a local manufacturing strategy for other countries, and sells direct to NGOs, governments, corporations, donors, and through retailers with micro-finance options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hippo Hub: An initiative to provide global awareness of the need for water reliability, featuring Hope the happy hippo as an educational mascot for young minds and educators about water challenges and initiatives.

Products and services

• Hippo Roller 90-Litre Drum A 90-litre water transport drum with an integrated handle, designed to be rolled along the ground rather than carried. The roto-moulded drum is manufactured from UV-stabilized linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) with embedded sand granules in the rolling surface and a stainless steel handle, dispersing effective push/pull weight to approximately 10kg. Typical lifespan is 5-7 years of daily rural use. Sold primarily to NGOs, governments, and corporations for distribution to rural households lacking water infrastructure.
• Hippo Utility Cap A proprietary cap designed to fit the Hippo Roller drum, allowing users to conveniently and hygienically draw water from the drum without contaminating its contents and ensuring hygienic storage of clean water.
• Dynapump A complementary pump accessory that leverages the spinning motion of the Hippo Roller to pump water from a source into the drum. Includes a filter for cleaning water and can connect to an irrigation system for crop watering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5x more water transported compared to traditional 20-litre bucket
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Rotary InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRotary clubs worldwide sponsor and distribute Hippo Rollers in their communities. Multiple Rotary clubs including Chatswood Sunrise, Rotary Okavango, Longmont, Twin Peaks, Boulder, Pietermaritzburg Azalea, and Palos Verdes Peninsula have conducted distributions across Africa, Asia, and Pacific regions.
• UN World Food ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFP has purchased over 1,000 Hippo Rollers for Schools Feeding Programs in Tanzania, supporting over 1,000 schools in drought-prone areas. The partnership enables improved water access for school meals preparation.
• Africa FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for African development projects and community upliftment programs.
• Cargill Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting Hippo Roller distributions. Cargill has been involved in projects helping chicken farmers in Mozambique.
• Frost & SullivanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and analysis firm that awarded Hippo Roller the 2015 and 2016 African Rural Portable Water Solutions Product Leadership Awards.
• Operation HungermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African humanitarian organization partnering for community distributions.
• The Missing PieceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for Hippo Roller projects.
• AIDEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for international development projects.
• JAMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJAM SA distributed 60 Hippo Rollers to day care centres in Northern Limpopo through crowdfunding. Joint humanitarian aid distributions.
• Siemens StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Empowering people. Network for technologies for basic needs.
• World Water ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational water sector organization partner.
• World Vision InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Vision International with funding from Thankyou. company distributes Hippo Rollers on Tanna island as part of integrated Vanuatu WASH project targeting highest-need areas.
• Unity Water FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Hippo Roller to deliver Hippo Rollers to vulnerable families in South Africa, including Shiyabazali informal settlement and uMngeni region. Centenary project with Rotary Club of Pietermaritzburg Azalea.
• THOASA (The Hope Of Africa SA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Food Security Program with Hippo Roller Kits for Emthombothini community, combining water transport with farming tools and seeds.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRS provided Hippo Rollers as part of cholera prevention projects in Hopley settlement, Zimbabwe, improving water access and sanitation.
• Water Shortage SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to deliver Hippo Rollers to vulnerable individuals in remote KwaZulu-Natal, including disabled beneficiaries.
• 3 Million ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based organization connecting donors with Hippo Roller recipients, including sponsorship for Simon Chonco in KwaZulu-Natal.
• Conservation FusionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization distributing Hippo Rollers in southern Madagascar as part of programs keeping children in school.
• Legal Resource CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted Mmangweni community in legal action against municipality for water services, working alongside Hippo Roller distributions.
• Seeds of HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Jane's Garden project in Macassar, combining Hippo Rollers with community gardening.
• Sulabh International Social Service OrganisationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Jane's Garden project with Hippo Roller donations for young gardeners in Macassar.
• ParkBuddiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental project partner for Jane's Garden in Macassar community.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in IMPACT II project for Marshall Islands water access, distributing Hippo Rollers across remote Pacific islands.
• Kwajalein Atoll Local GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner for Hippo Roller distribution across Kwajalein Atoll communities in Marshall Islands.
• Lugwasho Foundation ZambiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistributed 250 Hippo Rollers to vulnerable households in Chief Siachitema's Chiefdom, Kalomo District, Zambia.
• Swim for RiversminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater conservation organization partnering for distributions in Eastern Cape, South Africa.
• Mbhashe Local MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality partnering for Hippo Roller distribution in Cwebe Village, Elliotdale for farming support.
• Department of AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department partnering for Hippo Roller distribution in Cwebe Village for agricultural water access.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Waterlines: Manufacturer of water transport and storage solutions for humanitarian and development contexts. Comparable as a B2B hardware supplier to NGOs and governments addressing water access in developing markets.
• Vestergaard (LifeStraw): Social enterprise that produces LifeStraw water purification products for households in developing markets. Both companies target water access for off-grid communities using durable, portable hardware sold primarily through NGO and government distribution channels.
• Wello Water: Social enterprise producing the WaterWheel, a rolling water transport container for developing communities. Most direct product competitor to Hippo Roller with similar target customer (off-grid households), distribution model (NGO partnerships), and core value proposition (rolling vs. carrying water).

Broad incumbents

• charity: water: Nonprofit funding clean water access projects in developing countries. Operates as a funding/distribution channel for water solutions similar to how Hippo Roller's NGO partners operate, making it comparable in customer profile and donor-driven model.
• WaterAid: International NGO focused on WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs in developing countries. Comparable as a major institutional partner/customer in the water access ecosystem, though it operates as a program implementer rather than a hardware manufacturer.
• Rotoplas: Major Latin American plastic water storage and pumping solutions provider. Comparable as a large-scale plastic roto-moulded water container manufacturer with similar product category, though serving broader market segments including commercial and residential.
• WaterCredit (Water.org): Nonprofit that provides microfinance for water and sanitation solutions in developing countries. Comparable as a partner/channel in the WASH ecosystem with similar social enterprise flavor and target beneficiary (low-income households lacking water access).

Emerging players

• Embrace: Social enterprise producing low-cost infant warmers for developing countries. Comparable as a purpose-driven hardware product sold via NGO distribution and corporate sponsorship, with similar impact-measurement and CSR-gifting dynamics.
• d.light: Social enterprise providing affordable solar lanterns and energy solutions to off-grid households in Africa and Asia. Comparable as a purpose-driven hardware company with pay-as-you-go and distribution partnerships targeting base-of-pyramid customers.
• EcoZoom: Social enterprise selling clean cookstoves and solar products to off-grid households in developing countries via NGO distribution. Comparable business model (durable hardware, NGO/government channels, impact-focused) though serving different end-use cases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hipporoller
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hippowaterroller
• Facebookfacebook.com/hipporoller
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hipporoller
• Instagraminstagram.com/hipporoller
• Pinterestza.pinterest.com/hipporoller

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hippo Roller